performed all his other cōmandments this that concerned Sir Philip thinking to make the fine-spun threads of Friendship more firm between them I acquainted Sir Philip with not as questioning but fully resolved to doe it Unto which he at the first sight opposing discharged my faith impawn'd to the Prince of Orange for the delivery of it as an act only entending his good and so to be perform'd or dispens'd with at his pleasure yet for my satisfaction freely added these words first that the Qu. had the life it self daily attending her and if she either did not or would not value it so highly the commendation of that worthy Prince could be no more at the best than a lively picture of that life and so of far lesse credit and estimation with her His next reason was because Princes love not that forrain Powers should have extraordinary in their Subjects much lesse to be taught by them how they should place their own as arguments either upbraiding ignorance or lack of large rewarding goodness in them This Narration I adventure of to shew the clearness and readiness of this Gentlemans judgement in all degrees and offices of life with this farther testimony of him that after mature deliberation being once resolved he never brought any question of change to afflict himself with or perplex the business but left the success to his will that governs the blinde prosperities and unprosperities of Chance and so works out his own ends by the erring frailties of humane reason and affection Lastly to manifest that these were not complements self-ends or use of each other according to our modern fashion but meer ingenuities of spirit to which the ancient greatness of hearts ever frankly engaged their Fortunes let Actions the lawfully begotten children equall in spirit shape and complexion to their parents be testimonies ever sufficient My second instance comes from the Earle of Leicester his unckle who told me after Sir Philips and not long before his own death that when he undertook the government of the Low Countries he carryed his Nephew over with him as one amongst the rest not only despising his youth for a Counsellor but withall bearing a hand over him as a forward young man Notwithstanding in short time he saw this Sun so risen above his Horizon that both he and all his Stars were glad to fetch light from him And in the end acknowleged that he held up the honor of his casual authority by him whilst he lived found reasō to withdraw himself from that burthen after his death My third record is Sir Francis Walsingham his Father-in-law that wise and active Secretarie This man as the world knows upheld both Religion and State by using a policy wisely mixt with reflexions of either He had influence in all Countries a hand upon all affairs Yet even this man hath often confessed to my self that his Philip did so far over-shoot him in his own Bow as those friends which at first were Sir Philip's for this Secretaries sake within a while became so fully owned and possest by Sir Philip as now he held them at the second hand by his Sonin-laws native courtesie This is that true remission of mind whereof I would gladly have the world take notice from these dead mens ashes to the end that we might once again see that ingenuity amongst men which by liberall bearing witnesse to the merits of others shews they have some true worth of their own and are not meerly lovers of themselves without rivals CHAP. III. TO continue this passage a little further I must lift him above the censure of Subjects and give you an account what respect and honour his worth wanne him amongst the most eminent Monarchs of that time As first with that chief and best of Princes his most excellent Majesty then King of Scotland to whom his service was affectionately devoted and from whom he received many pledges of love and favour In like manner with the late renowned Henry of France then of Navarre who having measured and mastered all the spirits in his own Nation found out this Master-spirit among us and used him like an equall in nature and so fit for friendship with a King Again that gallant Prince Don John de Austria Vice-Roy in the Low Countries for Spain when this Gentleman in his Embassage to the Emperor came to kiss his hand though at the first in his Spanish haughture he gave him access as by descent to a youth of grace as to a stranger and in particular competition as he conceived to an enemy yet after a while that he had taken his just altitude he found himself so stricken with this extraordinary Planet that the beholders wondered to see what ingenuous tribute that brave and high minded Prince paid to his worth giving more honour and respect to this hopefull young Gentleman than to the Embassadors of mighty Priuces But to climb yet a degree higher In what due estimation his extraordinary Worth was even amongst enemies will appear by his death When Mendoza a Secretary of many Treasons against us acknowledged openly That howsoever he was glad King Philip his Master had lost in a private Gentleman a dangerous Enemy to his Estate yet he could not but lament to see Christendome depriv'd of so rare a Light in these cloudy times and bewail poor Widdow England so he term'd her that having been many years in breeding one eminent spirit was in a moment bereaved of him by the hands of a villain Indeed he was a true modell of Worth A man fit for Conquest Plantation Reformation or what Action soever is greatest and hardest amongst men Withall such a lover of Mankind and Goodnesse that whosoever had any reall parts in him found comfort participation and protection to the uttermost of his power like Zephyrus he giving life where he blew The Universities abroad and at home accompted him a generall Mecaenas of Learning Dedicated their Books to him and communicated every Invention or Improvement of Knowledge with him Souldiers honoured him and were so honoured by him as no man thought he marched under the true Banner of Mars that had not obtained Sir Philip Sidney's approbation Men of Affairs in most parts of Christendome entertained correspondency with him But what speak I of these with whom his own waies and ends did concur since to descend his heart and capacity were so large that there was not a cunning Painter a skilfull Engenier an excellent Musician or any other Artificer of extraordinary fame that made not himself known to this famous Spirit and found him his true friend without hire and the common Reude-vous of Worth in his time Now let Princes vouchsafe to consider of what importance it is to the honour of themselves and their Estates to have one man of such eminence not onely as a nourisher of vertue in their Courts or service but besides for a reformed Standard by which even the most humorous persons could not but
THE LIFE Of the Renowned Sr PHILIP SIDNEY WITH The true Interest of England as it then stood in relation to all Forrain Princes And particularly for suppressing the power of Spain Stated by Him His principall Actions Counsels Designes and Death Together with a short Account of the Maximes and Policies used by Queen Elizabeth in her Government Written by Sir FULKE GREVIL Knight Lord BROOK a Servant to Queen Elizabeth and his Companion Friend LONDON Printed for Henry Seile over against St Dunstans Church in Fleet-street MDCLII Most humbly To the Right Honorable THE COUNTESSE OF SVNDERLAND Since Madam BOth your Bloud and Vertues do so strongly Intitle you to this well-limb'd Piece it would be a stain upon the Publisher to enshrine it to any other Name but yours Who can protect the story of a Sidney but a Sidney's Name Thus his Matchless Poem seem'd providentially by him impatronag'd unto his Peerless Sister And this Madam being another of his meaner Monuments disdains Address to any other Alliance but his own Here at your feet by no despicable Pen the History of our Nations Wonder lies Whose large spread Fame your noble Meene improves and convinces the World of this Truth That not only the Endowments of Nature but even the Enoblements of the Mind and Genius are many times inherent in the Bloud and Linage Some Families are privileg'd from Heaven in Excellencies which now and then in particular Branches like new Stars appear and beautifie the sphere they shine in And doubtless if the departed into Happiness have any knowledge of our humane Vicissitudes his gallant Soul looks down with Contentment to see the Honour of his House continued in your unblemisht Merit Which taking all may excuse the presumption that I can be charged with who not pretending to the Authorage have thought I could not doe more right either to him or the subject of the discourse than to inscribe it to Her who like day in this Ecclipse of Honour enlightning our Western Orb hath ambition'd me to make this offering from Madam The meanest of your most obedient Servants P. B. THE Life of the Renowned Sr PHILIP SIDNEY CHAP. I. THe difference which I have found between times and consequently the changes of life into which their naturall vicissitudes doe violently carry men as they have made deep furrowes of impressions into my heart so the same heavy wheeles cause me to retire my thoughts from free traffique with the world and rather seek comfortable ease or imployment in the safe memory of dead men than disquiet in a doubtfull conversation amongst the living Which I ingenuously confesse to be one chief motive of dedicating these exercises of my youth to that Worthy Sir Philip Sidney so long since departed For had I grounded my ends upon active Wisedomes of the present or sought Patronage out of hope or fear in the future Who knowes not that there are some Noble friends of mine and many Honourable Magistrates yet living unto whom both my Fortune and Reputation were and are far more subject But besides this self-respect of Dedication the debt I acknowledge to that Gentleman is farre greater as with whom I shall ever account it honour to have been brought up and in whom the life it self of true worth did by way of example far exceed the pictures of it in any moral Precepts So that if my creation had been equal it would have proved as easie for me to have followed his patern in the practice of reall vertue as to engage my self into this Characteristicall kind of Poesie in defence whereof he hath written so much as I shall not need to say any thing For that this representing of vertues vices humours counsells and actions of men unfeigned and unscandalous Images is an inabling of free-born spirits to the greatest affaires of States he himself hath left such an instance in the too short scene of his life as I fear many Ages will not draw a line out of any other mans sphere to parallel with it For my own part I observed honoured and loved him so much as with what caution soever I have passed through my dayes hitherto aamong the living yet in him I challenge a kind of freedome even among the dead So that although with Socrates I professe to know nothing for the present yet with Nestor I am delighted in repeating old newes of the ages past and will therefore stir up my drooping memory touching this mans worth powers wayes and designes to the end that in the tribute I owe him our nation may see a Sea-mark rais'd upon their native coast above the levell of any private Pharos abroad and so by a right Meridian line of their own learn to sayl through the straits of true vertue into a calm and spacious Ocean of humane honour It is ordinary among men to observe the races of horses and breeds of other cattle But few consider that as divers humors mixt in mens bodies make different complexions so every Family hath as it were divers predominant qualities in it which as they are tempered together in Marriage give a certain tincture to all the descent In my time I have observed it in many houses especially in this Sir Henry Sidney his Father was a man of excellent naturall wit large heart sweet conversation and such a Governour as sought not to make an end of the State in himself but to plant his own ends in the prosperity of his Countrey Witnes his sound establishments both in Wales and Ireland where his Memory is worthily grateful unto this day how unequall bitter soever the censure of Provincialls is usually against sincere Monarchall Governours especially such as though in worth and place superior are yet in their own degrees of heraldry inferior to them On the other side his Mother as she was a woman by descent of great Nobility so was she by nature of a large ingenuous spirit Whence as it were even racked with native strengths shee chose rather to hide her self from the curious eyes of a delicate time than come up on the stage of the world with any manner of disparagement the mischance of sicknesse having cast such a kind of veile over her excellent beauty as the modesty of that sex doth many times upon their native and heroicall spirits So that it may probably be gathetherd that this clearnesse of his Fathers judgement and ingenious sensiblenesse of his Mothers brought forth so happy a temper in this well-mixt Ofspring of theirs as without envy be it spoken Sir Philip deserves to be accompted amongst those eminent Plants of our soyl which blast or bite not but rather stâ—tuminate and refresh the Vines Corn Fruits or whatsoever groweth under their shaddows And as he was their First-born so was he not the contraction but the extension of their strength and the very aim and perfect type of it Of whose Youth I will report no other wonder but this That though I lived with him and
he shewed in his youth and first employment when he was sent by the late Queen of famous memory to condole the death of Maximilian and congratulate the succession of Rodolph to the Empire For under the shaddow of this complement between Princes which sorted better with his youth than his spirit Did he not to improve that journey and make it a reall service to the Empire For under the shadow of this complement between Princes which sorted better with his youth than his spirit did he not to improve that journey and make it a real service to his Soveraign procure an Article to be added to his Instructions which gave him scope as he passed to salute such German Princes as were interested in the cause of our Religion or their own native liberty And though to negotiate with that long-breathed Nation proves commonly a work in steel where many stroaks hardly leave any print yet did this Master Genius quickly stir up their cautious and slow judgements to be sensible of the danger which threatned them hourely by this fatall conjunction of Rome's undermining superstitions with the commanding forces of Spain And when he had once awaked that confident Nation to look up he as easily made manifest unto them that neither their inland seat vast multitude confused strength wealth nor hollow-sounding Fame could secure their Dominions from the ambition of this brave aspiring Empire howsoever by the like helps they had formerly bounded the same Roman and Austrian supremacies The reasons he alleged were because the manner of their conjunction was not like the ancient undertakers who made open war by Proclamation but craftily from the infusion of Rome to enter first by invisible traffique of souls filling peoples minds with apparitions of holines specious Rites Saints Miracles institutions of new Orders reformations of old blessings of Catholiques cursings of Heretiques Thunder bolts of Excommunication under the authority of their Mother Church And when by these shadows they had gotten possession of the weak discouraged the strong divided the doubtful and finely lulled inferior powers asleep as the ancient Romans were wont to tame forrain nations with the name Socij then to follow on with the Spanish less spirituall but more forcible Engines viz. practice confederacy faction money treaties leagues of trassique alliance by marriages charge of rebellion war and all other acts of advantagious power Lastly he recalled to their memories how by this brotherhood in evill like Simeon and Levi Rome and Spain had spilt so much bloud as they were justly become the terror of all Governments and could now be withstood or ballanced by no other means than a general league in Religion Constantly and truely affirming that to associate by an uniform bond of conscience for the protection as I said of Religion and Liberty would prove a more solid union and symbolize far better against their Tyrannies than any Factious combination in policy league of state or other traffique of Civill or Martial humors possibly could do To this end did that undertaking spirit lay or at least revive the foundation of a league between us and the German Princes which continues firme to this day The defensive part whereof hath hitherto helped to suport the ruines of our Church abroad and diverted her enemies from the ancient ways of hostility unto their Conclave and modern undermining Arts So that if the offensive part thereof had been as well prosecuted in that true path which this young Genius trod out to us both the passage for other Princes over the Alps would have been by this time more easie than Hanibal's was and besides the first sound of that Drum might happily have reconciled those petty dividing Schismes which reign amongst us not as sprung from any difference of religious Faith but misty Opinion and accordingly moulded first upon the Desks of busie idle Lecturers then blown abroad to our disadvantage by a swarm of Popish Instruments rather Jesuits than Christians and to their ends most dangerously over-spreading the world for want of a confident Moderator This I say was the first prize which did enfranchise this Master Spirit into the mysteries and affairs of State CHAP. V. THe next doubtfull Stage hee had to act upon howsoever it may seem private was grounded upon a publique and specious proposition of marriage between the late famous Queen and the Duke of Aniou With which Current although he saw the great and wise men of the time suddainly carryed down and every one fishing to catch the Queens humor in it yet when he considered the difference of years person education state and religion between them and then called to minde the success of our former alliances with the French he found many reasons to make question whether it would prove Poetical or reall on their part And if reall yet whether the ballance swayed not unequally by adding much to them and little to his Soveraign The Dukes greatness being onely name and possibility and both these either to wither or be maintained at her cost Her state again in hand and though Royally sufficient to satisfie that Queens Princely and moderate desires or expences yet perchance inferior to bear out those mixt designes into which his ambition or necessities might entise or draw her Besides the marriage of K. Philip to Q. Mary her sister was yet so fresh in memory with the many inconveniences of it as by comparing and paralleling these together he found credible instances to conclude neither of these forrain alliances could prove safe for this Kingdom Because in her marriage with Spain though both Princes continuing under the obedience of the Roman Church neither their consciences nor their peoples could suffer any fear of tumult or imputation by change of faith Yet was the winning of St. Quintins with the loss of Calice and the carrying away of our money to forrain ends odious universally the Spanish pride incompatible their advantagious delayes suspicious and their short reign here felt to be a kinde of exhausting tax upon the whole Nation Besides he discerned how this great Monarch countenanced with our Forces by sea and land might and did use this addition of her strength to transform his Low-Countrey Dukedomes fall'n to him by descent into the nature of a soveraign conquest and so by conjoyning their Dominion and Forces by Sea to his large Empires and Armies upon the Mayn would probably enforce all absolute Princes to acknowledg subjection to him before their time And for our Kingdome besides that this King then meant to use it as a forge to fashion all his soveraign designes in had he not except some bely him a fore-running hand in the change of Religion after King Edwards death And had he not even in that change so mastered us in our own Church by his Chaplain and Conclave of Rome that both these carried all their courses byaced to his ends as to an elder brother who had more abundant degrees of wealth and honour to return
charges his carriage testified to the world wisdome and valour with addition of honour to his Country by them For instance how like a Souldier did he behave himself first in contriving then in executing the surprise of Axil where he revived that ancient and secure discipline of order silence in their March and after their entrance into the town placed a band of choice souldiers to make a stand in the Market-place for securitie to the rest that were forced to wander up and down by direction of Commanders and when the service was done rewarded that obedience of discipline in every one liberally out of his own purse How providently again did he preserve the lives and honor of our English Army at that enterprise of Gravelin where though he was guided by directions given him yet whether out of arguments drawn from the person of La Motte Commander of that town who had a generall reputation of too much worth either Simon-like to deceive or easily to be deceived or out of the strength and importance of that place precious to the owner in many respects the least of which would redouble loss to the growing ambition of a Conqueror or whether upon caution given by intelligence or whatsoever light of diversion else he I say was resolute not to hazzard so many principall Gentlemen with such gallant Troops and Commanders which accompanied him in that flattering expedition Yet because he kept this steady counsel in his own bosome there was labouring on every side to obtain the honour of that service To all which gallant kind of competition he made this answer that his own comming thither was to the same end wherein they were now become his rivalls therfore assured them that he would not yeeld any thing to any man which by right of his place was both due to himself and consequently disgrace for him to execute by others again that by the same rule he would never consent to hazzard them that were his friends and in divers respects his equalls where he found reason to make many doubts and so little reason to venture himself Yet as a Commander concluding something fit to be done equally for obedience and triall he made the inferior sort of Captains try their fortune by dice upon a drums head the lot fell upon Sir William Brown his own Lieuetenant who with a choice company presently departed receiving this provisionall caution from Sir Philip that if he found practise not faith he should streight throw down his Arms and yeeld himself prisoner protesting that if they took him he should be ransomed if they broke quarter his death most severely revenged On these forlorn companies go with this Leader before they came into the town found all outward signals exactly performed when they were entred every street safe and quiet according to promise till they were past any easie recovery of the gate then instantly out of the cellars under ground they were charged by Horse and Foot The Leader following his Generalls commandement discovers the treason throws down his arms and is taken prisoner The rest of the company retire or rather fly towards their ships but stil wounded and cut off by pursuit of their enemies till at length a Serjeant of a band with fifteen more all Sidney's men I mean such as could die to win honour and do service to their country made a halt and being fortunately mixt of pikes halberds and muskets resolved to be slain with their backs to their friends and their faces to their enemies they moved or staied with occasion and were in both continually charged with Foot and Horse till in the end eight were slain and eight left alive With these the Serjeant wounded at the side with a square die out of a field-piece made this brave retreat within view and at last protection of their own Navy bringing home even in the wounds nay ruins of himself and company reputation of courage and Martiall discipline to his Country Moreover in those private accidents of discontentment quarrell which naturally accompany great spirits in the best governed Camps how discreetly did Sir Philip ballance that brave Hollock made head of a party against his Uncle When puting himself between indignities offered to his Soveraign through the Earl of Leicesters person and yet not fit for a supreme Governors place to ground a duel upon he brought those passionate charges which the Count Hollock addressed upwards to the Earl down by degrees upon himself Where that brave Count Hollock found Sir Philip so fortified with wisdom courage and truth besides the strong partie of former friendship standing for him in the Counts noble nature as though sense of honour and many things else equal and unequal between them were in apparance beyond possiblitie of peecing yet this one inequality of right on Sir Philip's side made the propounder calm and by coming to terms of expostulation did not only reconcile those two worthy spirits one to another more firmly than before but withall through himself wrought if not a kind of unitie between the Earl of Leicester and the Count Hollock at least a finall surcease of all violent jealousies or factious expostulations These particulars I only point out leaving the rest for them that may perchance write larger stories of that time To be short not in complements and art but reall proofe given of his sufficience above others in very little time his reputation and authority amongst that active people grew so fast as it had been no hard matter for him with the disadvantage of his Uncle and distraction of our affairs in those parts to have raised himself a fortune there But in the whole course of his life he did so constantly ballance ambition with the safe precepts of divine and moral duty as no pretence whatsoever could have entised that Gentleman to break through the circle of a good Patriot CHAP. XII THus shall it suffice me to have trod out some steps of this Britane Scipio thereby to give the learned a scantling for drawing out the rest of his dimensions by proportion And to the end the abruptness of this Treatise may suit more equally with his fortune I will cut off his Actions as God did his Life in the midst and so conclude with his death In which passage though the pride of flesh and glory of Mankind be commonly so allyed as the beholders seldome see any thing else in it but objects of horror and pittie yet had the fall of this man such natural degrees that the wound whereof he died made rather an addition than diminution to his spirits So that he shewed the world in a short progress to a long home passing fair and weldrawn lines by the guide of which all pilgrims of this life may conduct themselves humbly into the haven of everlasting rest When that unfortunate stand was to be made before Zutphen to stop the issuing out of the Spanish Army from a streict with what
alacrity soever he went to actions of honor yet remembring that upon just grounds the ancient Sages describe the worthiest persons to be ever best armed he had compleatly put on his but meeting the Marshall of the Camp lightly armed whose honour in that art would not suffer this unenvious Themistocles to sleep the unspotted emulation of his heart to venture without any inequalitie made him cast off his Cuisses and so by the secret influence of destinie to disarm that part where God it seems had resolved to strike him Thus they go on every man in the head of his own Troop and the weather being misty fell unawares upon the enemie who had made a strong stand to receive them near to the very walls of Zutphen by reason of which accident their Troops fell not only unexpectedly to be engaged within the levell of the great shot that played from the Rampiers but more fatally within shot of their Muskets which were layd in ambush within their own trenches Now whether this were a desperate cure in our Leaders for a desperate disease or whether misprision neglect audacity or what else induced it it is no part of my office to determine but onely to make the narration clear and deliver rumor as it passed then without any stain or enammel Howsoever by this stand an unfortunate hand out of those forespoken Trenches brake the bone of Sir Philip's thigh with a Musket-shot The horse he rode upon was rather furiously cholleric than bravely proud and so forced him to forsake the field but not his back as the noblest and fittest biere to carry a Martiall Commander to his grave In which sad progress passing along by the rest of the Army where his Uncle the Generall was and being thirstie with excess of bleeding he called for drink which was presently brought him but as he was putting the bottle to his mouth he saw a poor Souldier carryed along who had eaten his last at the same Feast gastly casting up his eyes at the bottle Which Sir Philip perceiving took it from his head before he drank and delivered it to the poor man with these words Thy necessity is yet greater than mine And when he had pledged this poor souldier he was presently carried to Arnheim Where the principal Chirurgions of the Camp attended for him some mercinarily out of gain others out of honour to their Art but the most of them with a true zeal compounded of love and reverence to doe him good and as they thought many Nations in him When they began to dress his wound he both by way of charge and advice told them that while his strength was yet entire his body free from feaver and his mind able to endure they might freely use their art cut and search to the bottome For besides his hope of health he would make this farther profit of the pains which he must suffer that they should bear witness they had indeed a sensible natured man under their hands yet one to whom a stronger Spirit had given power above himself either to do or suffer But if they should now neglect their Art and renew torments in the declination of nature their ignorance or over-tenderness would prove a kind of tyranny to their friend and consequently a blemish to their reverend science With love and care well mixt they began the cure and continued it some sixteen dayes not with hope but rather such confidence of his recovery as the joy of their hearts over-flowed their discretion and made them spread the intelligence of it to the Queen and all his noble friends here in England where it was received not as private but publique good news Onely there was one Owle among all the birds which though looking with no less zealous eyes than the rest yet saw and presaged more despair I mean an excellent Chirurgion of the Count Hollocks who although the Count himself lay at the same instant hurt in the throat with a Musket shot yet did he neglect his own extremitie to save his friend and to that end had sent him to Sir Philip This Chirurgion notwithstanding out of love to his Master returning one day to dress his wound the Count cheerfully asked him how Sir Philip did And being answered with a heavy countenance that he was not well at these words the worthy Prince as having more sense of his friends wounds than his own cries out Away villain never see my face again till thou bring better news of that mans recovery for whose redemption many such as I were happily lost This honourable act I relate to give the world one modern example first that greatness of heart is not dead every where and then that war is both a fitter mould to fashion it and stage to act it on than peace can be and lastly that the reconciliation of enemies may prove safe and honourable where the ciment on either side is worth So as this Florentine precept concerning reconciled enemies deserves worthily to be buried with unworthines the author of it or at least the practise of it cryed down and banished to reign among barbarous heathen spirits who while they think life the uttermost of all things hold it safe in no body that their own errors make doubtfull to them And such seems every man that moves any passion but pleasure in those intricate natures Now after the sixteenth day was past and the very shoulder-bones of this delicate Patient worn through his skin with constant and obedient posturing of his body to their Art he judiciously observing the pangs his wound stang him with by fits together with many other symptoms of decay few or none of recovery began rather to submit his body to these Artists than any farther to believe in them During which suspense he one morning lifting up the clothes for change ease of his body smelt some extraordinary noisom savor about him differing from oyls and salvs as he conceived either out of naturall delicacy or at least care not to offend others grew a little troubled with it which they that sate by perceiving besought him to let them know what suddain indisposition he felt Sir Philip ingenuously told it and desired them as ingenuously to confess whether they felt any such noisome thing or no They all protested against it upon their credits Whence Sir Philip presently gave this severe doom upon himself that it was inward mortification and a welcome messenger of death Shortly after when the Chirurgions came to dress him he acquainted them with these piercing intelligences between him and his mortality Which though they opposed by authority of books paralleling of accidents and other artificiall probabilities yet moved they no alteration in this man who judged too truly of his own estate and from more certain grounds than the vanity of opinion in erring artificers could possibly pierce into So that afterwards how freely soever he left his body subject to their practise and continued a patient beyond exception yet
make perfect this judgment of his had summ'd up the league offensive and defensive between us and them even then he grew doubtfull lest this advantage would in time leave latitude for envy and competencie to work some kind of rent in our Union But when in the progresse of this prospect he fell into a more particular consideration of their traffique and ours they without any native commodities Art and diligence excepted making themselves Masters of wealth in all Nations We againe by exporting our substantiall riches to import a superfluous masse of trifles to the vaine exhausting of our home-borne staple commodities he certainly concluded that this true Philosophers stone of traffique which not only turned base mettals into gold but made profit by Wars in their owne bosomes would infallibly stir up emulation in such lookers on as were far from striving otherwise to imitate them And out of these or the like grounds hath many times told me that this active people which held themselves constantly to their Religion and Freedome would at length grow from an adjective to a substantive and prosperous subsistence Whereas we on the other side dividing our selves and waving in both should first become jealous then strange to our friends and in the end by reconciliation with our common enemie moderate that zeale wherein excesse only is the meane and so be forced to cast our fortunes into their armes for support who are most interested in our dishonour and ruine These with many other dangers which he provisionally feared howsoever the wisdome of our Government may perchance have put off by prevention yet were more then conjecturall in the aspect of superior inferior forraigne and domestique Princes then raigning But suppose we could not by this Kalender comprehend the change of Aspects and Policies in severall Kingdomes yet we may at least therein discerne both the judgment of this Prometheus concerning our selves and the tender affection he carried to that oppressed Nation Which respect of his they againe so well understood as after his death the States of Zealand became suitors to her Majesty his noble friends that they might have the honour of burying his body at the publique expence of their Government A memorable wisdome of thankfulnesse by well handling the dead to encourage and multiply faith in the living Which request had it been granted the Reader may please to consider what Trophies it is likely they would have erected over him for posterity to admire and what inscriptions would have been devised for eternizing his memory Indeed fitter for a great and brave Nation to enlarge then the capacitie or good will of a private and inferior friend For my own part I confesse in all I have here set downe of his worth and goodnesse I find my self still short of that honour he deserved and I desired to doe him I must therefore content my selfe with this poor demonstration of homage and so proceed to say somewhat of the toyes or Pamphlets which I inscribe to his memory as monuments of true affection between us whereof you see death hath no power CAP. XIV WHen my youth with favour of Court in some moderate proportion to my birth and breeding in the activenesse of that time gave mee opportunity of most businesse then did my yet undiscouraged Genius most affect to finde or make work for it self And out of that freedom having many times offered my fortune to the course of Forraigne employments as the propriest forges to fashion a Subject for the reall services of his Soveraigne I found the returnes of those mis-placed endeavours to prove both a vaine charge to my selfe and an offensive undertaking to that excellent Governesse over all her Subjects duties and affections For instance how mild soever those mixtures of favours and corrections were in that Princely Lady yet to shew that they fell heavy in crossing a young mans ends I will onely choose and alleage foure out of many some with leave some without First when those two mighty Armies of Don Iohns and the Duke Casimires were to meet in the Low Countries my Horses with all other preparations being shipped at Dover with leave under her Bill assigned Even then was I stayed by a Princely Mandate the Messenger Sir Edward Dier Wherein whatsoever I felt yet I appeale to the judicious Reader whether there be any latitude left more then humble obedience in these nice cases between duty and selfenesse in a Soveraignes service After this when Mr Secretary Walsingham was sent Embassador to treate with those two Princes in a businesse so much concerning Christian blood and Christian Empires then did the same irregular motion which seldome rests but steales where it cannot trade perswade me that whosoever would venture to go without leave was sure never to bee stayed Upon which false axiome trusting the rest to chance I went over with Mr Secretary unknown But at my returne was forbidden her presence for many moneths Againe when my Lord of Leicester was sent Generall of Her Majesties Forces into the Low Countries and had given me the command of an hundred Horse then I giving my humors over to good order yet found that neither the earnest intercession of this Grandee second with mine own humble sute and many other Honourable Friends of mine could prevaile against the constant course of this excellent Lady with her Servants So as I was forced to tarry behind and for this importunity of mine to change my course and seem to preferre nothing before my service about her This Princesse of Government as well as Kingdomes made me live in her Court a spectacle of dis-favour too long as I conceived Lastly the universall fame of a battle to bee fought between the prime Forces of Henry the third and the religious of Henry the fourth then King of Navarre lifting me yet once more above this humble earth of duty made me resolve to see the difference between Kings present and absent in their Martiall Expeditions So that without acquainting any creature the Earle of Essex excepted I shipped my selfe over and at my returne was kept from her presence full six moneths and then received after a strange manner For this absolute Prince to sever ill example from grace averrs my going over to bee a secret imployment of Hers and all these other petty exiles a making good of that cloud or figure which she was pleased to cast over my absence Protecting me to the world with the honour of her imployment rather then she would for examples sake be forced either to punish mee farther or too easily forgive a contempt or neglect in a Servant so near about her as she was pleased to conceive it By which many warnings I finding the specious fires of youth to prove far more scorching then glorious called my second thoughts to counsell and in that Map cleerly discerning Action and Honor to fly with more wings then one and that it was sufficient for the plant to grow where his